After each having a week off, the Mount Vernon Mustangs and the King's Ridge Christian Tigers will shake off the cobwebs and hit the field against one another at 3:45 p.m. on Friday. Mount Vernon will be strutting in after a victory while King's Ridge Christian will be coming in after a defeat.
Mount Vernon is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They took their game last Friday with ease, bagging a 60-20 win over Greenville. The Mustangs might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won three matchups by 40 points or more this season.
It was another big night for Keon Clealand, who rushed for 183 yards and three scores on only 13 carries, and also threw for 177 yards and three touchdowns while completing 75% of his passes. His longest rush was for an impressive 60 yards, which helps to explain his lofty yards per carry total. Mount Vernon's leading receiver Taurean Rawlins was Clealand's top target yet again, picking up 126 receiving yards and a pair of TDs.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Mount Vernon was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 372 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.
Mount Vernon's defense stepped up as well, laying out Zayden Kelley four times. Coleson Quesinberry was especially locked on to Greenville's QB and sacked him twice. Ethan Siggers was another major factor on D, picking up a sack and making 11 total tackles.
Meanwhile, after soaring to 44 points the game before, King's Ridge Christian was a bit more limited in their contest last Friday. They had to suffer through a 49-7 loss at the hands of Wesleyan. The Tigers were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 35-0.
Despite the loss, King's Ridge Christian saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Tucker Markakis rushed for 58 yards and one touchdown.
King's Ridge Christian's defeat dropped their record down to 6-2. As for Mount Vernon, their victory bumped their record up to 3-5.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Mount Vernon has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 163 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like King's Ridge Christian struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 235.6 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Mount Vernon strolled past King's Ridge Christian in their previous meeting back in October of 2024 by a score of 38-21. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was the Tigers' Austin Drye, who rushed for 97 yards and a pair of scores. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will the Mustangs still be able to contain Drye? There's only one way to find out.
